16 - 01 - 2020 / Your Story
A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST WANT TO GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES
I would never vote Labour or Conservative, so until 2010 I probably defaulted to the Liberal Democrats. I may have thought about the Scottish Green Party and I certainly didn't think about the SNP very much.
In fact, I wasn't very interested in domestic politics probably because I felt like nothing changed, or that I couldn't change anything. Now I realise just how powerful and negative an impact mainstream media had on my ability to even listen.
Weirdly, I do remember being 18 and strongly questioning why Scotland wasn't independent. I think that faded probably because I didn't know any of the history or politics around it at that time.
After the financial crash I assumed we were in for a tough time, but we'd bounce back, I didn't really understand the implications of austerity or it's mechanics.
Indeed, the year after the crash I struggled financially as a freelancer and think I retreated into a world of safety thinking things would swing back to some sort of normality.
When the independence vote came around, I hadn't given the whole idea very much thought, only that I wanted Devo max and I wouldn't have to give the matter any further thought.
Things have turned around completely for me now as I have watched promise after promise turn to dust. I can see I was lied to and I can see now that, we aren't any kind of unitary state.
I can see how Scotland is being used for other people’s purposes and then forgotten about.
Local issues are of extreme interest to me and I can see a path that can make that change happen.
I think a lot of people just wanted to get on with their lives but it's clear now that nobody can, until we sort out things to make the change we need to and that is to live our lives in an independent Scotland.